Frank h



'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. BABCOOK, OF JOHNSONBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF YTVVO-THIRDSTO RUFUS A. RICHARDSON AND JOI-IN A. CRAIG, OF

SAME PLACE.

TIRE-TRIMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,920, dated April20, 1897.

Application led January 22, 1897. Serial No. 620.241. (No model.)

' specification.

Thisl invention relates to tire-trimmers, the object being to provide adevice by which the tires or flanges of locomotive or car wheels may betrimmed during the ordinary braking operation and without necessitatingthe removal of the wheel from the locomotive or car.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the device. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of a detached detail. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing amodification.

Similar reference-numerals indicate similar parts in the severalfigures.v

1 represents a brake-shoe of ordinary form and construction, providedwith the usual hook 2 and opening 8, through the medium of which it isconnected to the brake-head in the ordinary manner.

4 represents side flanges adj ustably secured to the brake-shoe by meansof screws 5, the object of these fianges being to hold the jaw in properposition to effect the trimming of the tire or flange of the wheel, andby means of their adjustability the device may be used on wheels ofdifferent widths. As shown in Figs. 1 and, the shoe is provided with theordinary groove 6 for the reception of the flange of the wheel and withthe ordinary bearing-surface 7 to engage the tread of the wheel and witha recessed portion 8, which corresponds with that part of the tread ofthe wheel which 4is usually worn by its contact with the rail, andagainst which portion the brake-shoe is preferably adapted not to bear.The bearing-surface 7 is provided with recesses 9, adapted to receivethe blocks 10, which are removably secured therein by screws 11 or othersuitable fastening devices. The recesses are undercut at one end, asindicated at 12, and the opposite end may be either straight or inclinedoutwardly, as indicated at 13, and the block is correspondingly shapedat its opposite ends to fit snugly in the recess. Projecting upwardlyfrom the lower end of the block, or that end which fits in the undercutend of the recess, is a cutter 14, which is intended to cut down thetread of the wheel where it is not worn by contact with the rail inorder to give the tread a straight bearing-surface across its periphery.These blocks, and particularly the cutting portion 14, will be ofhardened steel, and they may be readily removed from the brake-shoe forthe purpose of sharpening the cutting portion 14 or for replacing themwhen the cutting portion is entirely worn away. Preferably the cuttingedge 14 will extend diagonally across the surface 7 for the purpose ofgiving a shearing cut.

15 represents blocks each provided with a cutting portion 16. The blocks15 are removably fitted into that part of the brakeshoe adapted toengage the flange ofthe wheel. This cutting portion 1G is so shaped asto trim the periphery of the flange to its proper shape. As is wellknown, the wear between the side of the flange and the rail willfrequently give the periphery of the iiange almost a knife-edge, whichfrequently results in causing the wheel to run through a switch in thewrong direction and thereby cause an accident.

As shown in Fig. 5, the invention is intended to be applied to theblind-wheel of a locomotive, in which case it is necessary to trim offboth sides of the periphery of the wheel, as the groove caused bycontact with the rail is in the middle of the, tread.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the wheel of a locomotiveor car has become unevenly worn by its contact with the rail my trimmingdevice may be substituted for the ordinary brake-shoe which is appliedto such wheel and that the trimming device will be brought intoengagement with the wheel at each application of the brakes and willthereby soon trim down the uneven surface on the tread of the wheel andbring the flange to its proper form, at the same time'serving almost aseffectively as the ordinary brakeshoe for braking purposes, or in thecase of a locomotive the latter may be jacked up IOO clear of the trackand run carefully With the trimming appliance in contact with the Wheeluntil it is trimmed.

It is of course to be understood that the cutting portion on theremovable blocks Will be of such form as to adapt them to the properform of that portion of the Wheel they operate upon.

By placing the cutting edge 14 at the end of the block fitting into theundercut end of the recess in the shoe the strain upon the fasteningscaused by the friction between the Wheel and cutting edge Will begreatly reduced and transferred instead to the brakeshoe.

It will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minordetails of construction may be resorted to Without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages .of this invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim isl. In a tire-trimmer,the Combination With a brake-shoe having a recess formed in itsWheelfengaging surface, of a block removably secured in said recess andprovided with a Iprojecting cutting edge, substantially as described.

2. In a tire-trimmer, the combination With a brake-.shoe provided with arecess in its Wheel-engaging surface, of a block removably secured inthe said recess and provided With a projecting cutting edge extendingdiagonally across said engaging surface, substantially as described.

3. In a tire-trimmer, the combination With a brake-shoe provided with arecess in its Wheel-engaging surface, said recess being undercut at oneend, of a block removably fitted Within said recess, and provided with aprojecting cutting edge at its end which ts into the undercut end of therecess, substantially as described.

et. In a tire-trimmer, the combination with a brake-shoe andtire-trimming devices attached thereto, of side iianges adjustablysecured to the brake-shoe, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in 5 the presence of tWo Witnesses.

FRANK H. BABCOCK.

Witnesses:

S. C. PARSHALL, D. E. KENDIG.

